GB- I love your routes and I so want to do that ride! One of the issues I am having is after my fall I (over) panic a bit at unexpected events which could cause me to fall again. Slowly the confidence is returning but I can only scare myself so often before I weird out.

Thanks Barry.

Alas. I wish there was a quick cure for confidence.
It will come. Riding your bike is a trust fall. Beautiful.

The BBC is a bunch of wussies. It wasn't that bad out there. [says the guy who rode high winds in the mountains during snow squalls]

So, here's my blog entry... check it out:

Essex to Thomas Point Park - https://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/21895

I rode, but not until late in the day. I think a lot of the wind had died down by then. I stopped off at Performance today. They are having a 20% back sale (instead of the usual 10% back) and I needed to pick up some tubes, a bike lock, and I was interested in trying on some bibs. I hear, and now believe, that they are very comfy.

I was looking at a 2007 Fuji Team a week and a half ago. The price was dropped big time then, and now they took another $200 bucks off the price. I had to get it. Especially with 20% back this time. Carbon frame, Ultegra rear derailleur, and just about everything else was 105 for $850. When I had someone take it out for the final test ride another guy saw it and was quite interested. He was going to buy it if I didnt...oh well - I already had my mind made up as long as everything felt as nice as it did on my first test ride.

So I just went 13 miles on it and it was awesome. A few laps around Lake Montebello and then a stroll up and down Walther. It was really smooth. MUCH smoother than my aluminum frame/chromoly fork.

Tomorrow is going to be awesome.

GB: I do love your routes too. I especially love the city/country ones. I like both and its great to get a little bit of everything in.

NR, you riding that BBC Seven Valleys ride tomorrow?

I was contemplating it.

Why? Are you thinking about going?

The wind, for once, ran parallel to the bridge--slow slog toward the Naval Academy; very nice tailwind coming back.

Hey, GB, is that a beer stop in Fells Point I see on your map?

I'm going to do the Pancake ride tomorrow. Anyone else biking in from the city let me know if you want to met up, as I should be on the way out there. GB? I promise to take it easy on your knee.

My friend picked up the same Fuji from Performance in Gaithersburg about a month ago. His was a 2008 I think and ended up paying $950 - It was mostly 105 with cane creek brakes. He busted the left Brifter on the second ride. All he did was shift and that was it.

Perfrmance said there was a lot of that going around on their 105STIs. They got Shimano to replace the levers with Ultegras. Sweet deal on a nice bike.

Sorry to be a tease... but you're right- I was thinking about riding something tomorrow.
I"M GOING THRU WITHDRAWAL

I've been babying the knee and working to get some official info about a solution. I really don't want a chronic problem. Haven't ridden since tuesday and I'm going nuts. I was fantasizing about riding up to OR and doing the BBC ride, but it's just a dumb idea. I'll ride up to Mt. Wash Starbucks in the morning to suss out the knee and to be sure no one thinks my ride is still on.

I'll be back on the bike soon. Enjoy the weather tomorrow.

BTW the new bike is back from powder coating. In the next couple weeks I'll head down to NC to build it up and bring it back. Psyched.

Mine does have cane creek brakes. - I think the 2008 version has 105 brakes and ultegra front and rear derailleur. Hopefully I break a brifter on my second ride tomorrow My very first experience at Performance was not so good, but since then they have been very good to me. I have never had anything break or have to return anything but I have full confidence that if I did, they would replace it for me.

Sorry, dude, but I know from experience... knee problems can last for an entire season if you try to ride through it--well, my problem was running through knee problems, which is how I wound up on a bike. It was the end of my "career" as a marathon (42k) runner. Take care of those knees.

I was thinking about riding up to OR to meet Janet G, then ride with her up to 5th District Elementary, but there will be too many hammerheads in this ride--I need to conserve energy. The legs are feeling a little worn, too, after pushing against the wind, yesterday, and it's going to be relatively hot out--my nemesis. It seems the older I get, the more prone to cramping I've gotten--sux.

I had a big family thing going on in PA this weekend, so no riding for me. I got my adrenaline thrill by dodging the RVs swaying in the high winds on I-81.

I got back too late to ride today (I'm shooting pool -- my other obsession -- tonight.) I just checked the weather forecast, and tomorrow looks unpleasant (I've got kind of a thing about riding in thunderstorms), but I think I'm going to just go for it anyway. After all, 60% chance of thunderstorms also means 40% chance of not thunderstorms, right?

I did 87.7 miles today! Still averaging a bit better then 12mph but endurance and my seat issues seems to be improving. It was a great day to be out!

When do the charity rides start up? I want to do a nice relaxing ride where I can meet folks and be social.

I'll say.

Good job, Barry.

Saw Jeffrey Mark on the Seven Valleys ride yesterday. Were your ears burning? It was all good.

Awesome!
Way to go Barry.

The American Diabetes Assoc. ride is May 3 in Howard County a short 30 mile loop.

I rode Saturday out towards Greenspring Valley then down to Towson for a family gathering. Wind was present but not that bad as NR already reported.
Barry: glad to see you mileage is up
GB: rest it, drink some brews to ease the pain
Harry: Rode by your house this wknd, I rode slowly because of your sign!

Ha ha-It doesn't apply to bikes. You should stop by next time. I was all ready to ride on Saturday morning but decided to be a good dad and go to my sons bb practice instead, so I ran there and back. Just no time for long rides with home, family. work obligations, gotta sneak miles in when I can.
I did get out for 45 on the NCR with that Sunday group. Did 20 or so on both Thurs and Friday out at Loch Raven. That's a better alternative for me than Montebello, more fun climbing than going round and round.

Anybody doing the ROAR-autism ride at O Ridge on April 25th?

Service Life of a Wipperman Master Link?

https://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/21953

I guess I'm making a trip to Performance, and if they don't have it, a trip to Falls Rd--Princeton Sports.

Glad to see some people got to ride this weekend. other than me, I was less than 1 mile from my house to meet my gma so I could go mountain biking, so what happens? Oh, let me tell you, some one tries to make a hard sudden right into exxon while next to me (german and merrit), he pushes me and my car into the curb so hard it broke my wheel,axle,rotor,strut and of course the left side mirror fender etc...car had wheels facing oppisite ways. cops and ambo showed up, kids are ok just a little upset. I on the other hand have lower back pain and sometimes upper back pain, I see a doctor tomm am. The ER when we got to the hosp. said I would have to check in with the emergency room to be seen (and wait 3 hours if not more) it was busy in there.

Car I'm sure will be totaled. I was sooo dying to ride yesterday. I keep trying to convince the wife we need a minivan, not going well though,

Doc gives me the green light so I can ride, I might ride to Work saturday and back. 90 miles or so.

Damn. Very scary Josh. Super glad you are in one piece. Hope none of your pain lingers. We got some summer riding coming up.

Charlie, were you at the Orioles opening day game? Thought I saw you on TV.

Also, anyone who's interested, click that Coho link in my signature. (new pic)